The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-07-29
The Old Palace Keeper.

In May, 1873, my niece Lucy and /
we're in Florence. We had been there,
energetic, industrious and solemnly
conscientious, through three long
months of sightseeing, and were now
Iaking our ease think the first three
months in Florence or Rome is like
learning the alphabet; it is some time
before one can read. We are now be-
ginning to read. But May in Italy
means American summer, and we were
not as energetic as we had been; we
we're, however, visiting the palaces in
d. leisurely way, a way that was mixed
with much driving out toward the violet
mountains, buying the wonderful flow
ors, and even reading novels. No
Oovel bad we read during those first
solemn three months; we had subsisted
upon the solid food of Hare, Horner
and Grove, with foundation OF
Vasari and Ruskin and a superstrue-
lure of the Hawthornes and the
Brownings. We are now shading off
with ''Romola" and Kenry James.
One morning old Catarina who dust
ID our apartments daily after the anlia-
Die and inefficient Italian manner,
asked if we had seen the Palazzo
Accolti, in the Via Lorenzini; there
we're wonderful art treasures there.
AS both Lucy and had studied Italian,
we talked to the servants and to the
shop people in their own language in
preference to the parti-colored French
which in Italy Is held sacred to the En-
glish and Americans. At Catarina's
speech the young serving man who was
IN the next room (she did not know it)
laughed; and then, appearing with
deep respect and apologies at the door,
explained that there was nothing in
hat old palace for the illustrious ladies
10 see; nothing at all 1t was but
delusion Of old Catrina's, who had
lived there when girl, and who could
never-with the permission OF their
nobleness remember the flight OF time.
Treasures were there, without doubt,
once; but they had all been sold. The
whole world knew this save Catarina
alone. The old woman had shfunk ct
the sound Of his voice, and would say
no more. But the next time | found
her alone / questioned her, and at
length won from her the belief that the
art treasures of the old palace were not
sold, but still in their places in the dark
closed rooms above. Sne knew that
the ground floor was turned into shops;
but old Marco, the keeper, still lived
above and why should he live there if
there was no treasures? Why should
there still be keeper if there was
nothing to keep? The palace itself
could not be sold while the old Mar
cheese lived. AT his death, no doubt
''the wicked nephew who bad al
ready sold all that he could, would sell
that also; but the old Marchese still
lived
"IherepH asked.
Oh, no; with the permission Of their
excellence, the old Marchese had been
stricken by God, in his mind forty
years before, and was with those who
cared for such unfortunate ones The
wicked nephew said that God had GER
tainly forgotten him. since he was
nearly ninety years old; but, plainly 1t
was that the good Lord was in no haste
TO give 10 that wicked one what he had
80 much coveted. If their illustrous-
ness would condescend to 60 TO the
old palace, Catarina felt sure that
treasures were still to be seen.
Their illustriousness condescendedi
at least condescended to try. IL will
be a comfort to see something not in
the grade bookR said Lucy, who hav-
ing learned all that those useful publI-
cations had to tell. now ungratefully
despised them. So one morning we
droye into the narrow Via Lorenzinl
in seach Of the old palace and hnally
found it--an old. grim, lofty stone
building, like many another ln Flor
ance; its ground floor was now occu-
pied by small shops and all the shut
Sers were closed above The great
doors OF tAe entrance were locked and
looked as though they had not been
onened for century; there was no
ball We gazed upward in perplexity-
Bnt the whole neighborhood was. as
The Frinch saw. assisting and we saw
that NE had only to make inquiries
20 selecting vender Of lamps, who
occupied the largest shop, we said
that we wished to enter the PAL
ace and asked for old Marco.
This was evidently surprising
demand; but THE vender Of lamps would
po IA search OF old Marco. with all
speed II their highnesses would grac.
lously wait. Their highnesses walteu
hherefore. / hope graciously, ana BUS
ness was suspended for the morning N !